But now Drake’s company were visited by heavy sickness, which was attributed to the cold which the men suffered from whilst in the pinnaces. On returning to the ships on the 27th of November, they learned of the death of John Drake and of Richard Allen, who were slain whilst attempting to board a frigate. On the 3rd of January six of the company fell sick and died within two or three days, whilst as many as thirty were stricken down with fever. Joseph Drake, another of the captain’s brothers, died, and likewise the surgeon.
Drake now determined to proceed by land to _Panamá_, having by the 3rd of February lost twenty-eight of his men. He took with him forty-eight, eighteen being English and the rest _Symerons_, and in a few days reached _Venta Cruz_. The chief of these people dwelt sixteen leagues south-east of _Panamá_, and Drake now thought that he might with advantage waylay a party carrying treasure across the isthmus. But, owing to the awkwardness of one of his people, he and they were discovered. He nevertheless attacked the party, and pursued them as far as _Venta Cruz_.
On his journey thither Drake was informed of a certain tree, from the top of which he might discern a branch of the Atlantic Ocean on the one hand and of the Pacific on the other. One of the _Symerons_ desired him to ascend “that goodlie and great high tree,” in the trunk of which notches were cut in order to facilitate the ascent. From the top of this tree, the English mariner, viewing the distant Pacific, solemnly besought God to give him life and leave once to sail an English ship in those seas.
Returning to _Venta Cruz_, which he took and rifled, he intercepted a convoy of fifty mules, bearing a large quantity of silver, of which he appropriated what he could carry. With some difficulty he rejoined his pinnaces, when he resolved to return to _England_. He reached Plymouth on Sunday the 9th of August 1573, whilst divine service was being conducted. The church was forthwith deserted, all rushing out to welcome the gallant captain, who had been absent one year and two months.
In the course of the five years during which Drake reposed upon his laurels, before undertaking his voyage round the world, John Oxenham, who had been one of his companions in his late expedition, set out in a vessel of one hundred and forty tons’ burden, with twenty seamen, for the Isthmus of _Darien_. Having learnt at _Porto Bello_ that a convoy of muleteers was expected from _Panamá_, he marched to meet them, proceeding over the mountains to a small river which falls into the Southern Sea. Building a pinnace, he then dropped down into the Bay of _Panamá_ and proceeded to the _Pearl Islands_, where he took possession of a small barque from the port of _Quito_ (probably _Guayaquil_), in which he found sixty pounds’ weight of gold. Six days later he was still further enriched by the plunder of a barque from _Lima_, bearing a hundred pounds’ weight of silver in bars.